ON THE PERPENDICULAR OF SOMERSET. 37 



generally a high-pitched roof ; when it is present, a low 

 one. Thus the actual height of the whole church 

 extemally, and that of the aisles both inside and out, 

 may be identical in two churches following the tvvo 

 difFerent aiiangements. 



When the roof is low, that is, when there is a clerestory, 

 we generally find exceedingly fine tie-beamed roofs, as at 

 Martock, Somerton, Wrington, Taunton, Bruton, and, 

 above all, St. Cuthbert's, which drips with foliations, al^ 

 most like the nave of St. David's. When the roof is high, 

 difFerent forms of the cradle roof occur, This is the 

 local roof of Somersetshire and the West of England in 

 general ; and I would impress on the minds of all who are 

 concerned in such matters, the necessity of carefully pre- 

 serving this noble feature, which, in too many so-called 

 restorations, I have found destroyed ; I may especially 

 mention a bungling Substitute which I found at Trent. 

 Would that the opposite example of Banwell were followed 

 throughout the county. This sort of roof has this advan- 

 tage, that it can be made of any degree of plainness or 

 richness, and, stUl more, that it allows any amoimt of 

 decoration to be superadded to an originally piain design, 

 We may have merely the arched rafters, with or without 

 some omament where they cross the horizontal pieces, or 

 we may cover them with a ceUing of wood, which again 

 may be panelled and painted to any amount of gorgeous- 

 ness. Examples of all these different stages may be 

 found in diiferent churches. Queen Camel is a good 

 study ; there is a fine tie-beam roof in the nave, and an 

 equally good coved one in the chancel ; both increase in 

 richness over the rood-loft and the altar respectively. 



The form of the arch employed in these roofs is vcry 

 various ; pointed, elHptical, semicircular ; the latter is the 



